Following the team with a unique perspective on all things Phillies.Email me: PhilliesPhollowers@comcast.net – Peace, Love & Baseball – Jenn

To Taser Or Not To Taser

Shakespeare would have loved this dilemma.After last night’s on-field incident at the Phillies – Cardinals game, the use of a Taser Gun on unruly fans is being questioned.Steve Consalvi, 17, is a senior at Boyertown High who made a very bad decision.He jumped onto the field in the middle of the game and ran around while waving a towel.Here is the video:

The prank was pre-meditated as Consalvi consulted both friends and family members before committing the act.In other words, he knew exactly what he was doing and therefore should have been prepared for the consequences.

And while those consequences may not previously have involved taser guns, my feeling is, if you play with fire, you are going to get burned.Many people around the Philly area are whining about excessive force.Get over it.Whether the person is 17 or 45 years old should not make a difference.How were they supposed to know his age anyway?The officer and Phillies staff had no way of knowing this person’s age or intentions and as such, he was a threat to the players and everyone involved.

If that were my very own teenage child who did that, I’d still vote to taser him.Then again, my child would never act this way; he has been raised properly.As both a parent and a high school teacher, I can tell you that the major problem with kids these days is a lack of discipline and/or total parental disinterest.Hopefully, this will be an important lesson learned for Mr Consalvi.

And maybe now people will think twice before attempting to make total fools out of themselves in Citizens Bank Park.Heck, if they vote to give tasers to the ushers too in order to control all the drunk idiots who are making descent fans lives miserable, I am all for that as well.It is time to grow a pair and stop babying America’s idiots!If we all considered the consequences of our actions before doing something stupid, the world would be a much more peaceful place, even with the taser guns.

You do not have to agree with me, of course.But watch your back; I have an entire arsenal of witty words directly at my disposal and I am not afraid to use them ;o)

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7 Comments

You brought back flashback moments from the video of the University of Florida’s infamous “Don’t Tase Me Bro!” episode.
Fans really need to be educated that the minute you step onto the fiel or across those white lines you become not a “Philly” problem, but an MLB problem. The moment you step onto the “offcial” outfield or infield space you are suject to MLB deciding your fate.
Using a taser is not a new thing by law enforcement or even security, but there has to be a level of threat that implores that action.
Best thing to do is not even attempt it and save that over $ 1,500 and some special time in a cell you will get slapped with if you venture beyond the walls.
Hopefully someone within the MLB media world will write an article telling thefans what truly could happen to them if they step ” into the field of play.”

Cliff – I agree; they really need to lay down the law. I am curious to see what decision comes after this.
Julia – The problem with not wanting to use these guns on the average idiot is that the officer has NO way to know who is just an idiot and who is a psycho with intent to harm. I have family in law enforcement too and I know that they are told to use whatever force is necessary to avoid harm to themselves or others. If one of the players ever gets hurt in this situation, people are going to be screaming for the tasers.

The problem Jenn is we now have too many members of our police force who no longer use the skills they have learned and instead they resort to using the Taser Gun quickly on people. Be they elementary school aged special needs children or the elderly. What happens when they are used on a person in a diabetic “shock” who isn’t complying – because they can’t – and they die? And for the record I do have family members who are in law enforcement. There is a time and a place for Taser Guns – not sure using on a idiot running on a ball field is the right place. And having good parents is no guarantee that someone won’t do something stupid. As my Nana always told me – “Perfect people live in Heaven. The rest of us do the best we can.”

That cop totally did the right thing. That guy was just an idiot on the field. What happens when the next crazed person goes onto a field of play and plunges a knife into the back of a player and ends his career ala Monica Seles? If people are chastising that cop for DOING HIS JOB then I think they are missing the potential for disaster that exists out there.

I kinda agree with Werbiefitz…., BUT, Jenn I like your take too. I do not disagree. On another day I would probably have gone nuts on this one, but I’m just not feeling it right now. I was just glad I could be entertained by your post today. I have a 19 yr old boy. I hear you loud and clear. But policing skills are at an all time low too….part of a national no tolerance campaign on all levels. It’s what they’re being told to do that bothers me. yea…conspiracy nonsense on my part.
What the hell was the father thinking when he gave the OK?!
mike

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